Frustrations mount within Trenton Police Department

By
Brian Dzenis, The Trentonian

Thursday, February 28, 2013

TRENTON — With six homicides and 30 others wounded by gun violence just two months into 2013, police of all stripes are frustrated with both crime in the city and with the department’s response to said violence.

Tensions boiled over at a Tuesday Comstat meeting that resulted in Police Director Ralph Rivera Jr. going on an alleged tirade that ended with him storming out in anger.

At the meeting among Rivera and various police supervisors, the director became agitated when Lt. Mark Kieffer, who is the president of the Superior Officer’s Association, reportedly asked Rivera “Do we have a plan B?”

Two police sources who were present at the meeting, but spoke on anonymity because police are normally prohibited from discussing internal matters, independently confirmed what happened.

Rivera did not return calls seeking comment. Kieffer declined to comment on the meeting. Rivera allegedly responded to Kieffer’s question, “Plan B? We’re going to make plan A work.”

When Rivera was pressed about the possibility of bringing back at Tactical Anti-Crime unit or creating some alternative version of it, he was further agitated, stating that TAC was never coming back because the overtime costs associated with the unit and its old schedule not being conducive to the department’s needs.

“From there, he went into a tangent about (city councilman) George Muschal and how he thought he put us up to this,” a police supervisor said. “He said something to the effect of ‘I’ll take care of Muschal myself,’ he then closed up his computer and walked out.”

Muschal has been a critic of Rivera, who strongly disagreed with his decision to disband the TAC unit in December and previously called his move to reopen the police substations “smoke and mirrors.” Muschal, a retired police officer himself, said he had received word of the director’s alleged remarks through friends of his still in the department.

“I’m appalled that he would say that,” Muschal said. “He should have never gone in front of a group of officers and said that,”

“If he has a problem, he can talk to me, I’ll meet him anywhere,” he added.

Police insiders said that Janury and February are typically slower months, yet the violence continues.

“Obviously, he needs a plan B,” Det. George Dzurkoc, President of the Trenton Policeman’s Benevolent Association Local 11 said.